Extremely Rare Pink Dolphin Spotted in Louisiana

pink dolphin final

Photo Credit: mic.com

The last time “Pinky” was seen was in 2007, but the extremely rare pink dolphin reappeared along the coast of Louisiana this summer, and was spotted with increasing frequency in recent weeks, as local news station WGNO reported.

Captain Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service was the one who first got a glimpse of the mysterious pink dolphin while fishing on his boat with his company in Calcasieu River’s ship channel.

pink dolphin2

Photo Credit: Captain Erik Rue /Caters News Agency Ltd via The Guardian

Rue told WGNO that eight years ago the baby pink dolphin would always swim near her mother. Now, nearly a decade later, “Pinky” swims on her own and sometimes with a pod of other dolphins. Ever since the day he first saw the mysterious dolphin, he’s always been fascinated. He believes that “Pinky” is one of the world’s only dolphins with this color pigmentation.

“The dolphin appears to be healthy and normal other than its coloration, which is quite beautiful and stunningly pink,” Rue said, adding, “As time has passed the young mammal has grown and sometimes ventures away from its mother to feed and play but always remains in the vicinity of the pod.”

Regina Asmutis-Silvia, a senior biologist with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, told The Guardian, “I have never seen a dolphin colored in this way in all my career.”

The biologist explained that while the dolphin looks pink, it is an albino which you can notice in the pink eyes. Albinism is a genetic trait and it unclear as to the type of albinism this animal inherited.”

While Pinky is extremely rare, the good news is that not only is she all grown up – she may even be pregnant. Rue told the network he recently saw her mating with another dolphin, suggesting she could perhaps pass on her uniquely colorful trait.

Pinky is rare but not unique. Meet another pink dolphin, Angel, that lives in Japan.

http://www.incrediblethings.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/pink-dolphin-japan-e1429118076732.jpg

Source

  • Add Your Comment

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share This

Share this post with your friends!